Advisors

Towfiqu Photography If you inherit a retirement account, you may want to pause before making any decisions on when and how to access the money. Basically, the rules that apply depend on your relationship to the person who died. Mistakes can be made, and depending on the specifics, they can be hard to undo. The

Sinenkiy | iStock | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be the highest it has been in decades. The latest estimates from The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group, point to a possible 6.2% increase for next year based on the latest Consumer Price Index data. In comparison, this year’s

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Recent upticks in inflation have renewed interest from investors in assets that may help preserve the real (inflation-adjusted) value and purchasing power of their portfolio. The good news is that the typical investor’s portfolio will likely contain all the inflation-fighting tools that they need — such as stocks and

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images Social Security will be able to pay full benefits for just another 12 years, according to new estimates released this week. Experts, however. say that does not mean you should dramatically change your Social Security claiming strategy. Each year, the Social Security Administration releases an annual trustees report

Zero Creatives | Image Source | Getty Images The response to Covid-19 has marked a historic expansion in the size and coverage of government support for people experiencing unemployment. As we near the end of expanded federal unemployment insurance benefits, state governors now face a choice of whether to continue them. To that point, the

Sam Edwards | Getty Images As the year winds down, retirees eager to make charitable gifts may consider a tax-friendly donation from their individual retirement account.  The strategy, known as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, involves a direct payment from an IRA to an eligible charity. Retirees who are age 70½ and older may

jayk7 | Moment | Getty Images In the long run, inflation is an investor’s biggest threat. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of money. Even modest inflation at 3% annually halves the value of money in 24 years. So outpacing inflation is the primary goal for long-term investors. Beating inflation was not a problem over the

Charnchai | iStock | Getty Images If you’re among the many workers hoping to find a better position elsewhere, be sure to pay attention to the 401(k) plan account you’re leaving behind. Roughly 55% of workers say they’re going to look for a new job in the next year, according to a recent Bankrate survey.

Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones on stage during the band’s 1997-98 Bridges to Babylon tour. Paul Natkin | Archive Photos | Getty Images One of the greatest rock ‘n roll bands in the world recently lost their beat. Charlie Watts, who died on Aug. 24, had been the drummer for the Rolling Stones since

FatCamera Most workers over age 40 don’t have sufficient retirement savings and aren’t setting aside enough to catch up, according to a survey from the Insured Retirement Institute. Despite the nest egg shortfall, many still expect to retire early and believe they will have ample retirement income.   More than half of older Americans have less

Prostock-Studio | iStock | Getty Images If you get your health insurance through the public marketplace and are nearing age 65, don’t forget about Medicare. The general rule is that you must enroll when you reach that age unless you have qualifying coverage elsewhere — and plans through the exchanges (whether federal or state) do

FG Trade | iStock | Getty Images Help may be on the way for workers who lose track of their 401(k) accounts as they move from job to job throughout their careers. Under a proposal included in retirement legislation that’s pending in Congress, an online “lost and found” database would be established to help locate

@Sabi32 | Twenty20 One in 3 American families couldn’t handle a mid-sized financial emergency before the pandemic, according to a report from the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. Roughly 27% of American families couldn’t cover an unexpected $2,000 expense within a month, and 33% were struggling to make ends

JEFF KOWALSKY | AFP | Getty Images Federal unemployment benefits officially expire on Labor Day — but state administrative rules require that aid to end a few days earlier than some workers may anticipate. All states pay weekly benefits according to a schedule that ends on a Saturday or Sunday. However, the American Rescue Plan

krisanapong detraphiphat | Moment | Getty Images About 1 in 3 of the lowest-income families have a savings account, according to research published Monday by the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group. Thirty percent of households in the bottom fifth — those who earn less than about $26,000 a year — owned a

In this article ROST GCShutter | E+ | Getty Images The entire cryptocurrency market climbed to more than $2 trillion over the weekend for the first time since mid-May. Bitcoin, one of the more popular digital offerings, also surged to more than $48,000, though it has already lost some of those gains. If you’re like

Sawitree Pamee / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images When a financial advisor discusses the appropriate asset allocation for a portfolio, they are essentially trying to construct a plan that maximizes expected returns based on a given level of risk. The advisor pays less attention to the behavior of an individual security and instead focuses

katleho Seisa With inflation fears high and interest rates at rock-bottom lows, retirees may wrestle with how much cash they need during their golden years. The consumer price index, a key measure of inflation, increased by 5.4% in July from the previous year, and the average savings interest rates are still 0.06%, making cash reserves

Hector Pertuz | iStock | Getty Images If you’re handling the financial affairs for an older person who has died, you may wonder how the government knows to stop sending Social Security payments. Or maybe there’s a surviving spouse or dependent who is hoping those benefits can continue. Although Social Security rules can be complicated,

Money in a special needs trust can cover supplemental needs not covered by Medicaid and SSI. Uwe Umstaetter | Getty Images Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C., have touted a $3.5 trillion spending package aimed at helping to fight poverty. Yet initial drafts have not included proposed reforms to enhance Supplemental Security Income — also known